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Sunday, June 10, 2007

Boyband group Not Like Them is preparing for their self titled album release soon. They have enlisted production by The Underdogs, The Neptunes, and Timbaland for their first album. Founded by Chris Stokes of B2K fame and co-managed by Marques Houston the quartet is trying to make it's mark in the pop world with their Geffen debut.

****Decidedly pop in their appeal and approach, Stokes and Geffen Records' Chairman Ron Fair knew that NLT had an intangible and infectious star quality that wouldn't go unnoticed, and began pairing the band with some of music's top production teams and engineers, lending their magic to the already dynamic quartet. Co-manager Marques Houston offers his talents to the piano-paced acoustics of "Yesterday," and kicks things up a notch with the infectious "Can't Live Without You" and "Sensational." "He knows us better than anyone, and we've learned so much from him—he's like our big brother," agree NLT.

The group point to The Underdogs' drum and keyboard-driven production approach to "That Girl" as a prime example of their divergent pop influences and sound, and cite their co-writing with Timbaland on "He Said, She Said (Time to Let Go)” as a highlight of the recording process. But integral to it all was the first producer they worked with: Troy "Treezah" Johnson ("Go," "Rose," "Move"). "That was the best way for us to start. We had a lot of input, and we learned a lot about how our sound would be built. The songs we did with Troy were the foundation for everything," says Kevin.****

So be on the look out for the Timbo produced "He Said, She Said" but in the meantime this track has leaked and there is debate if it is also produced by Timbaland:

I would tell them, only I don't even think THAT could save their miserably failing careers.

Not to mention, you're comparing inferior producers to the man himself.

I laugh when you say "even Scott Storch,"... as if he's some kind of highly esteemed hip-hop oracle. I *guess* that explains why he worked with Paris Hilton then -- You know, the same girl who cried to her mommy just as she was taken away to jail. The same person who was ironically responsible for the fabulous song titled "Stars Are Blind". Hip-hop at its finest.

All the best producers gravitate toward popular music. They are allowed to be more creative and have opportunities to make a lot more money. Do people really expect Tim to keeping wasting his beats on Magoo? Rap is just a niche genre. Tim is a musician, doing strictly rap would be like Spielberg only directing Sci-Fi movies.

What the hell is wrong with people making the music they want? Music is about freedom of expression and sound, who are we to order Timbaland what music to make? I also enjoyed his hip hop music more since I'm a hiphop head more than anything else but there's nothing wrong with making music with a wider range of artists.